Thursday, 28 November 2013

This little t-shirt came together quickly after a dig through my scraps. I looked at tons of online tutorials for ideas. In the end, I used the turkey body template from SHYby DESIGN (slightly enlarged) but went with rounded feathers. I really wanted to use the bright orange t-shirt but also wanted orange and red feathers, so decided to add the inner row of feathers in the darker colors so they wouldn't blend into the t-shirt and then use the lighter greens and yellows against the orange shirt. I just ironed the shapes on with some Heavy Duty Wonder Under and haven't bothered sewing the applique down. I imagine it would last longer if I did, but I don't think he will wear the top enough for it to matter...

I love these little potimarron squash and can't stop buying them. There are everywhere in France this time of year and so tasty - they have a firm, dense flesh and a hint of chestnut taste. They make an excellent pumpkin pie.

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

A sewing machine cover has been on my to do list for quite some time, and now that my son is tall enough for his wandering fingers to reach the sewing machine's fun knobs and buttons, it has become a priority!

My machine sits out in the living room on a table, so a recent redecoration dictated the color scheme. Orange has replaced red as the main accent color in the room, so orange it is!

I was inspired by the vertical strips on Rashida Coleman-Hale's sewing machine cover in I Love Patchwork. I have added a few more columns of color and of varying widths, and rather than the grommet and tie closure she uses, I am planning to add sides and make it more like a closed box - just as soon as I figure out how to attach the side panels...

I also have all the strips cut for coordinating rainbow baby quilts for two newborn twin girls. Ready to start piecing...

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced - click over and check out the other projects.

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Baby quilts are so satisfying! Big enough to feel like a quilt, yet small enough to finish quickly without turning into a year-long work in progress. You can either keep the design simple for a fun gift, or take advantage of the small size to experiment with a more intricate or complex block without having to commit to full-sized project. I found this size to be so handy when Louis was a baby - perfect for a stroller or on the floor for tummy time or as a play mat.

This quilt was made for a friend of my sister who was planning a purple nursery for her little girl. Purple is SO not my color. I have huge overflowing boxes of fabric - each dedicated to a single color, but my purple stash occupies a small corner of the green box. Lucky for me, my sister never misses an opportunity to shop for fabric (and is way more into purple than I), and a fabulous package of purple finds was soon on its way to Paris!

For the stars I used the star block tutorial over at Cluck, Cluck Sew, which I have used in the past. I just increased the dimensions to make 12" finished blocks. I quilted on either side of the seams of the nine blocks and then diagonally, horizontally and vertically through the center of the stars. The back is a single, over-sized log cabin with a 4-patch center.

I am linking up to Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story - go check out everyone's projects...

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

I have been admiring Amy Smart's Union Jack quilt at Diary of a Quilter for some time. I followed the progress of her blocks and am totally infatuated with the finished quilt. One day, I would love to tackle an entire quilt of Union Jacks, but in the meantime, I decided to start smaller with a couple of pillows for my best friend back in Texas.

Like Amy, I used the Victory Garden pattern by Busy Bee Quilt Designs. I added a couple of borders and quilted it with straight lines. For a more polished finish, I wanted to attempt an invisible zipper rather than my usual envelope back, so I asked my experienced mom for help. She did a beautiful job, though I am not sure this quite overcame my fear of the invisible zipper...I am still much more comfortable with the trusty envelope closure!

I am linking up to Fabric Tuesday over at Quilt Story -click over for some creative inspiration...

Thursday, 7 November 2013

I couldn't find any fun Easter themed shirts around here for Louis, so I decided to raid my fabric stash and make something myself. I fused a rabbit silhouette onto a tee-shirt and sewed on a pompom for the tail. To finish off the edges, I consulted a few online tutorials to figure out how to do a blanket stitch, (easier than I feared!) and, voila! a finished top. So quick and easy - I definitely see more holiday themed tops in Louis' future...